Trump axes 100 national security staffers in shock purge as Rubio takes charge
Reports indicate that over 100 staffers on the National Security Council have been placed on administrative leave by Donald Trump's administration. The order reportedly came down Friday as part of a restructuring under interim national security adviser and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Two officials within the NSC confirmed the story to CNN. In addition to those who were placed on leave, it was also revealed that a few staffers had been purged from the organization.
The two sources also reported that the NSC retained some staff, mostly senior directors, while eliminating dozens of office positions. The "liquidation" of NSC staff comes weeks after Michael Waltz, who was nominated by Trump, stepped down from the position and became the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Both CNN and the Financial Times reported that NSC chief of staff Brian McCormack sent an email to staffers around 4:20 p.m. informing those being dismissed that they'd have 30 minutes to clean out their desks. Sources say that if the affected employee was not at the office at the time of dismissal, they were told to provide the agency with an address and arrange a time to retrieve their stuff later and turn in devices.
According to the outlet, the email was given the subject line "Your return to home agency." The subject line seemed to indicate that many of the affected personnel detailed to the NSC from other departments and agencies.
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On Thursday, it was revealed that Rubio had convened a meeting with principals, which seemed to stoke the rumors that it was about the reorganization. These rumors were further exacerbated when, at 3:45 p.m., Rubio summoned all senior directors into a meeting.
It was reported by CNN that a flurry of emails regarding those who were let go were sent around the office, along with their personal information. One official called it “as unprofessional and reckless as could possibly be.”
Those put on leave include career officials and political hires made during the Trump administration. In recent weeks, it was reported that members of the Office of the Presidential Personnel had been re-interviewing employees as the office was being reshaped.
One source reported that one of the questions being asked during the process was what officials thought was the appropriate size of the NSC. The council, which is normally staffed with foreign policy experts from across the US government, is usually tasked with shaping the president's foreign policy agenda.
However, under Trump's second administration, the NSC’s role has been greatly diminished, with the overhaul expected to further reduce its importance in the White House. It is currently unclear if Alex Wong, the deputy national security adviser, had been dismissed.
It was reported by those familiar with the dismissals said Ivan Kanapathy, senior director for Asia, remained but his entire team, including his China staff, had been canned. Opinions of the vast dismissals remain divided.
Some have expressed the opinion that a slimmed-down NSC would allow Trump to further his "Make America Great Again" agenda by culling those who might have hindered his progress. "He was not going to make the same mistake again,” a person close to the White House said, adding that Trump believed that many NSC officials were quietly blocking his agenda.
Others shared the opposite opinion. “While it might seem a hobbling bureaucratic move because the NSC’s purpose is to staff the president, its significance is about far more,” said one former NSC official.
“By whittling down the NSC staff to almost nothing, you kneecap the US government’s ability to generate foreign policy options, or to potentially act as a brake on Trump’s preferences," they added. "All that remains is presidential power.”
